IRCTC Login Guide

The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited (IRCTC) is a platform where travellers can book railway tickets online. It also provides catering services and carries out its functions under the Railway Ministry based on a public-private partnership model.

IRCTC Registration

Travellers can register on IRCTC for free. However, they require to submit a valid mobile number and email ID at the time of registration. The registration allows users to get book tickets online through irctc.co.in and information on latest tourism packages provided by IRCTC.

IRCTC also offers travellers the option of booking tickets under the tatkal quota. As per the tatkal scheme of IRCTC, passengers can book tickets under the tatkal quota only one day in advance (not including the date of the journey). Also, only four passengers under one PNR number can book tickets under the tatkal quota. Another important element is the passenger photo ID and at least one passenger should carry a valid ID during the journey.

IRCTC offers a simple and convenient way for passengers to book tickets online. It offers two kinds of tickets i.e. e-ticket and i-ticket. The e-ticket is booked online and the passenger can take the print out while the i-ticket is also booked online but the print out is couriered to the user.

At the time of booking, travellers have to

Login using their username and password

Select the cities they are travelling from and to

Select either the e-ticket or i-ticket option

Select the quota/class (for eg: general, sleeper class, AC etc.)

Select the boarding point of their journey

Enter personal details such as name, age, sex, berth preference and if a senior citizen, have to check in a box provided in the booking form as senior citizens are entitled to special discounts.

Once all the details are entered, the system will provide the traveller with their ticket details, the price and the seat availability.

Based on all these details, the travellers can make the payment using credit cards, a credit EMI option, direct debit or debit cards.

I-tickets can be cancelled by passengers at any computerized railway reservation centre. Refund will be credited directly the card/account.

Like e-tickets, i-tickets can be cancelled four hours before the departure of train at the railway station. They can be cancelled after the departure of the train too, which differs according to the distance of the journey.

The PNR status or Passenger Name Record is a unique ID number for every ticket booked when travelling through Indian Railways. The number is printed on the top left corner of every ticket. To know the status of bookings and cancellations, passengers can log on to the IRCTC website and get details about their bookings using the PNR number.

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